Improvement in treadles for sewing-machines



dnted tatce stent cattive.

CHARLES H. WILLGOX, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE WILLCOX & GIBBS SEWING-MACHINE COMPANY.

Letters Patent No. 99,126, dated January 25', 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN TREADLES FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

To whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES H. WILLCOX, of the city, county, and State of. NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Treadle and Crank-Connection in Sewing and other Machinery; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saule, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- I Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a treadle and'crank-connecton, made in accordance with my invention.

, Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same, through the ax'is oi the wheel. v

My invention relates to the mode of connectingr the treadle with the driving-wheel for sewing-and other Ilikemachinery, when the crank-rod or pitman is directly attached to the wheel; and

l t may be stated to consist--` First, in' providing the upper end of the pitman with a disk or guard-plate of slifiicient size to cover, during the revolution of the wheel and crank, the hub of the wheel, the pin or stud upon, which it turns, and the crank-connection between the pitman and wheel, substantially as and for the purposes hereinafter set forth. i

Second, in the combination, with the pit-man and crank-pin which it carries, of a hub for receiving said pin, fixed to the`drivingwl1eel, and arranged about centlally between the two ends of the wheel-hub -or bearing, as hereinafter described, thereby applying the power'necessary to turn the wheel, at about the centre of. the wheel-hub or bearing, which is thus caused to wear evenly, instead of at the crank-end, as has ordinarilybeen the case.

Third, inthe arrangement of the joint-pin which connects the treadle and pitman, in relation to the crank-pin connecting the pitmau and drivingwheel, so that a plane parallel with the driving-wheel, and passing through the middle ot' the one, shall pass through the middle, or thereabout, of the other, whereby the power is applied in a direct line with the upper beariu` and so as to prevent uneven wear, and to allow 'the wheel to be more easily moved.

The nature of my invention will be fully understood by reference to the drawing, in which- A represents the treadle;

l, the-pitman or connecting-rod; and

C, the wheel.

The latter is provided with a hub or bearing, a, which turns. upon a stud xed to projection from the side of the frame l).

Parallel with and about midway between the ends of the wheel-hub, is the crank-hub b, which is formed in one piece with, or suitably fixed to the wheel. By thus locating the crank-bearing, the power required to-turn the wheel is applied centrally between the two ends of the wheel-bearing or hub, which is thus caused to wea-r evenly, that is tofsay, it wears evenly at each end, which it would not do were the crank-bearing located at its front end, for inst-ance, for in that case the front end, receiving the direct application ofthe power, would wear much more rapidly than the other, and the wheel would thus soon have an uneven bearing.

The pitman B is provided with a crank-pin, c, .which ts in the bearing b, and is held there in any ordinary or suitable manner.

Upon the upper end of the pitman, I iorm a disk or guard-plate, (I, which is of suc-h size as to amply cover cut his lingers by getting them lcaught between the' pitlnan and end of the stud upon which the wheel revolves. rlhis oft-en happens to those endeavoring to start ordinary machines, for they usually take hold oi' the pitman near its upper end, and commence to move it, so as to revolve the wheel; but the pitman is as close to the end ofthe wheel-stud or journal as possible, so that when it crosses the end of the stud, in making the upper halt' of its movement, the fingers 'are caught and crushed or cut by the shearing-action of the pitman across the stud. The disk prevents this danger, by covering completely both hubs at every part ofthe revolution of the wheel, and, so far as this is concerned, it would accomplish the same result even it the crank-pin were attached to the wheel and worked in a socket formed in the disk or pitman in the usual manner, instead of, as in the present instance, being made fast to the pitman and working in the hub b.' I prefer, however, the arrangement described and shown, for thercason, that besides admitting of the bearing b being located as above described, it prevents any oil getting on the side of the disk next to the operator, which could not be wholly guarded against were thc pin to work in a socket through the pitman or disk.

rlhe lower end of the pitman is jointed to the treadlc by a pin, j; which enters a socket at the toe of the treadle, and is so arranged that a plane parallel with the wheel, and passing through the middle of the crank'- pin or hub, will pass through the middle of the pin f,

or its socket, so that the power is communicated fronr the treadle to the crank iwan-direct line, in such manner as to avoid all uneven pressure upon any part of the two bearings, and to allow the power to be appliedv to the best advantage.

Having now described my invention, and Athe inanner in which the seine is 0r may be carried into effect,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pntent, is

1. Providing the upper end of the ptman with a. disk or guard-plate of snicient size to cover, during Y 'the revolution of the wheel and crank, the hub of the wheel, the pin or stud upon 'which it turns, and the crank-connection between the pit-man and wheel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the pitman and crank-pin which it carries, of a hub for receiving said pin, fixed to the driving-wheel, and arranged about centrally between the two` ends of the wheel-hub or bearing, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. A

The arrangement of the joint-pin which connects the treadle and ptman, in relation to the crank-pin connectingI the pitman and driving-wheel,- so that a plane parallel with the driving-wheel, and passing through the middle of the one, shall pass through the middle, or thereaibout, of the other, whereby the ypower is applied in a. direct line with the upper bearing, and so as to prevent uneven wenr, and to allow the wheel to be more easily moved, as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signedmy name to this specification, before two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: GHAS. H. WILLCOX.

En. B. WILLcox, l. N. KLINE. 

